Old Fitzgerald Just Dropped a 9-Year Bourbon, and Collectors Are Already After It

Anyone who has spent time around online whiskey communities is familiar with Old Fitzgerald. The ornate decanter-style bottle certainly makes an impression, and the bourbon inside that bottle is a hot commodity as well. Every release of Old Fitzgerald is quickly and vociferously hunted down by enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Every batch of Old Fitzgerald shares a few notable characteristics that make it highly sought after, and this year’s spring batch carries those traditions forward. First, Old Fitzgerald’s recipe features wheat as the secondary grain instead of rye, resulting in a softer, rounder flavor profile.

Old Fitzgerald is also always a bottled-in-bond bourbon, which means the whiskey is distilled by a single distiller in a single distillation season, aged for a minimum of four years, and bottled at 100 proof. 

The most significant variation between Old Fitzgerald releases is the age statement. The new spring 2025 bottling was distilled in 2016 and aged for nine years. 

“With each release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series, we aim to honor both the tradition and craftsmanship that define this storied label,” said Conor O’Driscoll, master distiller at Heaven Hill, in a statement provided to Food & Wine. “This 9-year-old Spring 2025 edition showcases the richness of time. It’s a proud reflection of the bottled-in-bond legacy and Heaven Hill’s enduring commitment to excellence in American whiskey.”

The wheat-forward mashbill, combined with nine years of barrel maturation, has resulted in a copper-colored bourbon that, according to the distillery, offers aromatic notes of apple pie alongside traditional bourbon flavors like caramel and butterscotch. These flavors are enhanced by baking spice, notes of red apple, and a creamy finish.

Heaven Hill Distillery’s nod to tradition and craftsmanship is also evident in the trademark Old Fitzgerald bottle. Designed to resemble the classic whiskey decanters of the 1950s, down to the tax strip that displays the distillation and bottling dates, these bottles are a major part of Old Fitzgerald’s allure for collectors.

Bourbon hunters will want to be on high alert as the spring edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond will be slowly making its way to liquor store shelves in the coming weeks. While the total number of bottles produced remains undisclosed, it will be an allocated release with a suggested retail price of $130.